Microsoft to convert games for PlayStation

The first three titles to be converted will be Age of Empires, Moto Cross Madness and Urban Assault.

The announcement takes on greater significant because it is the first time that Microsoft has ever allowed its titles to be ported a non-Windows gaming platform. Coupled with the company's major involvement with Sega's upcoming Dreamcast console system, it appears that Microsoft has undergone a major shift in its view of television-based gaming systems.

While it no doubt still views Windows as the premier gaming platform, Microsoft is apparently no longer content to sit on the sidelines while other game developers rake in incremental dollars by releasing their titles on multiple platforms.

Also, according to Microsoft insiders, the company plans to double its output of games next year, with somewhere around 40 titles scheduled to be released. If this is true, and if this first set of ports is a success, Microsoft could well be a major player in the console market as early as next fall.